Festival City businessman accused of defrauding clients of over $11M
-after failing to deliver heavy duty imports
A businessman who allegedly obtained over $11 million from two persons by promising to import heavy duty equipment for them was on Monday granted bail in the sum of $300,000.
Micah Sonaram, of 2273 Flying Fish Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus in a Georgetown court, where the charges were read to him.
Sonaram pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stated that between October 24th, 2020, and January 21st, 2021, at Georgetown, he received $3,744,000, from Clive Jordan to purchase and deliver an excavator, a Honda ATV and excavator parts but failed to do so and instead converted the money to his own use and benefit.
It is also alleged that between November 3rd, 2020, and January 12th, 2021, at Georgetown, he received $7,700,000 from June Ann Daniels to purchase and deliver an excavator but instead failed to do so and converted the money to his own use and benefit.
Following his not-guilty pleas, the magistrate granted Sonaram bail in the sum of $150,000 on each charge and ordered him to return to court on March 15th, when the matter will be called again.
According to the case against him, Sonaram is the registered owner of “PARTZONE GY Inc., located at North Road, Lacytown, Georgetown and involved in the import and sale of both new and refurbished heavy duty machinery.
It was further noted that Sonaram uses social media to advertise his business, and it was on the Facebook platform that Jordan and Daniels became aware of his services.
Jordan made contact with Sonaram and subsequently made a down payment of $3,744,000 to be used to purchase the items mentioned in the charge, with the agreement being that the items were to arrive in Guyana within a 30-day period after the down payment was made.
Sonaram allegedly later indicated to Jordan that the items were at a city wharf and ready to be uplifted. However, they were never delivered to him. Sonaram reportedly vowed to refund the amount of cash given to him but failed to do so. The matter was reported and hence the charge.
Further, Daniels also met with the Sonaram and handed over a down payment of $7,700,000 for the purchase of the items indicated in the charge. She also received a receipt for the money paid.
Daniels was also told that the item was at a city wharf but the accused failed to deliver and she, too, was promised a refund of her money. She did not receive it. She also made a report to the police.
Meanwhile, the court heard that the accused is being investigated for similar reports made against him.
Sonaram in 2017 was brought before a city court and granted bail after being read three fraud charges, after he allegedly obtained a total of $5,825,000 from his friends through false pretense.
The first charge alleged that Sonaram, between October 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017, at Georgetown, fraudulently
obtained $5,500,000 from two minors by falsely pretending that he was in a position to import a motor pickup vehicle, knowing same to be false.
It is unclear what the outcome of those proceedings were.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has disputed statements made by former Minister and current Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes about the number of smart classrooms in the education system.
On Wednesday, Hughes attended a virtual AFC press conference on its Facebook page and in her presentation stated that between July 2015 and July 2020, the National Data Management Authority in association with the then Ministry of Education and her previous ministry, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, opened and operationalised 11 smart classrooms.
She listed the schools where the classrooms were opened as: Queen’s College (master classroom), East Ruimveldt Secondary, Leonora Secondary, Skeldon Linepath Secondary, New Amsterdam Multilateral, President’s College, Brickdam Secondary, Christianburg Secondary, Bush Lot Secondary, Soesdyke Secondary, and the 8th of May Secondary. Hughes added that special emphasis was made to ensure that equal representation was given to Guyana’s diverse communities and listed the effort in chronological order. In November 2017, a $6 million smart classroom at NCERD was launched and in February 2019, smart classrooms were established and launched in Regions One and Nine, at the Lethem Resource Training Centre and the Kato Secondary School.
The former minister also mentioned that under the previous administration, over 120 ministry buildings were connected with secured internet through an Egovernment network that was established before 2015, but never put into operation. Additionally, over 158 primary schools, 105 secondary schools, 30 technical and vocational institutions were able to open 173 information communication technology (ICT) hubs. Along with over 72 hinterland communities which were provided with free internet access to Regional Democratic Council and Neighbourhood Democratic Council offices, 11 fully equipped smart classrooms and a few smart hospitals across the hinterland regions were put in place via the EGovernment
network. Hughes said that cameras with connectivity were installed at markets and police and fire stations through this operation. She explained that it was designed to provide more government services online, hence making information more accessible and education easier, more transparent, and efficient for citizens.
Hughes said during the press conference and later in her statement which she posted to her Facebook page, “One cannot